Hurricane Irene Storm Damage Captured By Sony SLT-a77

Flash flood caused by heavy rains and broken dam caused severe damage to this house and at least seven others during Tropical Storm Irene.

Before photo above shows you how this “water wheel” house usually sits above a fairly calm stream.

On August 28, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene hit New York State and New England, devastating rural and mountain towns with flooding rains and high winds. I live about 80 miles North of NYC, and had a chance to document some of the storm damage in my area. Fortunately, the high winds had dropped from their original hurricane force, but trees still came down all over the place as a result of the 6-12 inches of rain that fell within 10 hours. The ground was already saturated from a record wet August, leaving no where for the water to go. Dams broke, trees blocked drains, etc. This video shows some of the damage caused by the storm within a mile or two of my house:

About Author

Michael J. McNamara

Michael J. McNamara is the Editor-in-Chief of the McNamara Report, Director of In-Depth Focus Labs, and former Exec. Technology Editor at Popular Photography Magazine. His photo and video portfolios can be viewed at www.McPhotoVideo.com.